We're bombarded by information. Every day we receive input from emails, news feeds, phone calls, social media, television, texts, postal mail...it's overwhelming. And much of it is noise!

Here's what I mean.

Your brain receives so much data that it picks out items that are most familiar or pleasing to focus upon. The rest is merely noise, static, humming.

So think about this in the context of business communications. Every time you post on social media or send an email, are you adding to the noise or are you being noticed?

When you bombard your social media feed with unrelated posts just to get information out there, you're making noise. When you create a thoughtful, planned campaign of information sharing, you're being noticed by your followers.

When you send an e-blast just because it's on the schedule to do so, you're creating noise. When that e-blast is focused, clear, easy to read, and useful, you're being noticed.

When you write copy for your website just to fill it...yep, more noise. When that copy is refined, focused, authentic, and easily (and quickly) understood, then you're being noticed.

The next time you write something, review it with fresh eyes. Are you using more words than are necessary? Make your point concisely. Are you writing in a style that's authentic to you and your clients? Be YOU, not who you're told to be by others. Is your writing correct? Get some help from an objective third party so you don't turn off your readers.

]]>Wed, 07 Nov 2018 20:09:41 GMThttp://www.lightseedsbyholly.com/tips-and-tricks-blog/what-does-your-heart-sayOne of my main services for clients is to help write copy that is accurate, authentic and aligned with the client's core values. How do I determine those things? Well, it's part intuition and part conversation!

You see, when I have an initial conversation with a potential client, I pay attention to what they say, how they say it, and how I feel as I hear it. There is great power behind words.

Does she use spiritual jargon because it's what seems appropriate, or because it's how she naturally speaks from her heart?

Does he speak quickly and precisely, or slowly and thoughtfully?

Is he a true professional, expert in his offerings to clients?

Does she say what she thinks others want to hear or what her heart wants to say?

These questions and more come into play when I work with someone.

Years ago I got advice from a coach who strongly suggested I change my message to reach a broader audience, and stop calling myself a "spiritual" VA. I tried that for a short while. A very short while. Why? Because she wanted me to stop being ME! I AM a spiritual virtual assistant, I DO want to work with a core group of expert heart-based practitioners. I AM AUTHENTIC!

If you want a client to trust you, BE you! Don't be like the other kids on the block. Create your offerings based on what you love to do the most, what you do the best (and those two are usually the same), and what will serve those you want to serve.

I'm not advising you to ignore what works in marketing and copy writing; data shows what works and what doesn't. But you can still present an authentic persona while doing what works...for YOU!]]>Mon, 08 Oct 2018 14:04:56 GMThttp://www.lightseedsbyholly.com/tips-and-tricks-blog/sharing-the-key-to-project-management

Many of us collaborate at times with our business associates, whether for a class, a fair or expo...any sort of team effort. Communication is critical to the success of these events, so how can you best support each other?

First step: role assignment! Be sure that each team member understands his or her role in the project, what tasks they're assigned, the timeline and due dates, and how, to whom, and when they are to report results. Tip: consider not just the tasks for each member, but in what areas they need to be a decision maker, or be informed, or be left out of a conversation.

Second step: shared files! We've all experienced the trauma (ok, maybe not trauma, but certainly stress!) of sharing documents by email. It's so easy to lose track of what changes have been made, and by whom. Instead, use a virtual "file cabinet" like Google Drive or Dropbox to store items every team member will need.

Set up project folders with explicit titles so that anyone on the team can easily find what they're looking for. Within those folders, store anything, and I mean ANYTHING, that a team member might need. You might want a folder for images, one for applications, one for setup or venue - consider the aspects of your particular project that make the most sense to organize the folders.

When changes are made to a file, ensure that it's saved back into the same folder so you don't end up with multiple versions of the same document - something I see often! You may want to have team member save items they have edited as "V1 date, V2 date," so it's easy to tell at a glance what the most recent update is, and yet you will still be able to recover previous versions if something goes wrong. AND, as I said, you won't have ten of the same file saved! Tip: be sure to include the date in the file name.

Whenever I manage a project I like to outline everything up front in a team meeting, so everyone is "on the same page" about timelines, roles, and how communication will be handled. Be sure to have regular meetings with subsets of the team sharing the same roles. Set expectations up front so there are no surprises!

"I just had a baby looking for a job to work at home anybody let me I have great Information technology and networking skills."

This request came from a social media post I ran across. Granted it's social media, this young woman was requesting job leads, and yet her post was so poorly written I can't imagine she got many leads from it.

You never know where your words will go, or who might see and react to them. Especially in the energy / focus of employment, writing must be clear, precise, and error-free to present a professional appearance to any prospective employer. Regardless of the kind of position sought, your writing style gives the first impression of your intelligence, work ethic, and motivation.

You may be tempted to dismiss this thought as trivial, but think about it objectively. Let's say that someone who read this request copied it verbatim and sent it to someone who needed those services. That person will be reviewing many similar requests and resumes. ​and will evaluate next steps based on first impressions. The first impression of this writer is not professional.

The same applies to prospecting for new clients in your business. You want to help more people by having them hire you. What then is your first impression on others? Do your social media and blog posts appear professional? Do they clearly share the teaching and message you want to convey? Are they error-free?

I've had a few rebuttals when I share these ideas from people stating that skills and intent should be what matter. Perhaps, yes...however if your first impression creates a block in that path, then it's time to change!

Because I learn visually and kinesthetically, typing is an idea method for me to communicate my ideas. I prefer email to phone, and writing to speaking.

But if you communicate more clearly with hearing and speaking, until recently it's been more of a challenge to get your ideas out to your prospects and clients in the digital world. Now you have options!

The newest versions of Microsoft Word have a dictation function which works well. Apple also has free dictation software for mobile and computer, as does Google Docs. These are all free options, and as often happens with free, the quality is not quite as good as paid products like Dragon Naturally Speaking. But the increase in productivity may be worth the small error rate - as long as you proofread carefully (or hire someone to do so)!

Of course, the quality of your microphone has an impact on accuracy, as well as your tone and clarity of speech.

Advantages:Time! It takes far less time to speak words than to type them. Ability to multi-task: (Not always an advantage!) You can be doing laundry while dictating a blog post!The ability to brain-dump: Get all your ideas out in real time, in stream of consciousness, with little internal editing. Do the cleanup later!

Disadvantages:Disjointed thoughts: When typing, you can adjust your content for cohesiveness and clarity. Stream-of-consciousness dictation may make it hard to decipher your original intention when you go back to edit.Awkward pauses: If have a temporary brain freeze, it may be hard to recapture your thoughts and get back on track.

You could, of course, simply record your thoughts and have them transcribed (or do it yourself), however this is so old-school and inefficient I don't recommend it.

The next time you need to write content, test these options for yourself. You'll find the best medium for efficiency and ease!

That may not be your first question. That's likely to be, "What the heck is BPT?" Let me explain.

Biological Prime Time (BPT) is a phrase coined by author Sam Carpenter to describe that magical time of day when you're most able to tackle brain-intensive tasks. It has little to do with whether you are most alert in the morning or evening, and more to do with which part of your brain is most capable of exertion during what time of day.

Knowing your BPT gives you a good start to accomplishing those challenging tasks at the optimal time for you.

For instance, I can be productive on both detailed and creative tasks about equally, however at different times of day. If I need to be very focused, I will take care of the task first thing in my work day, when I'm most alert and capable of detailed thinking. When I need to be creative and just let ideas flow, I work on these tasks in the early afternoon. By mid-afternoon my brain says, "Nope, no more!" and so I move on to more brainless things like filing or the next day's to-do list.

I recently got bogged down with several urgencies at the same time and stepped out of these ideal times for the work - not a good plan. Things went awry!

My client Lisa Crilley Mallis of Impactive Strategies explains this here, with some great ideas of how to track and take advantage of your best times.

Remember that you cannot force this BPT into the most convenient time for you. It is what it is, regulated by your brain. When you honor it and schedule accordingly, you'll not only be more productive, but also happier!

On my Grammar Guru Facebook page, I love to poke fun at examples of really poor grammar and writing. Some are funny cartoons, and others are - unfortunately - examples of really bad writing in the public eye.

And that's where good grammar is REALLY important - in the public eye! Here's why.

1. No matter what you do or how you do it, you need to present a professional, educated image to your prospects and clients. When your blog or social media post is full of mis-spellings or missing punctuation, you appear to others to be either careless or ignorant - neither of which, of course, is good for business! Neither may be true, but you wouldn't want a prospect to believe you are careless based on your online presence. ESPECIALLY in this holistic, heart-based game we're all in, you want your clients and prospects to trust in your skills, your intention, and your ability to fulfill your promises.2. When you write poorly, your meaning can be lost. I have read items with little (or mistaken) punctuation, and found myself wondering what the writer was trying to convey. Or articles in which an incorrect word with different meaning was mistakenly used for the correct word. If your meaning is not clear, your reader will quickly give up and move on, and will judge that you are not as capable as you really are.

Don't dismiss proper writing etiquette as unimportant. Use spellcheckers, Grammerly and other apps, and proofreaders. Want a great referral? ME!

Whether you work at home or outside the home, dealing with distractions and interruptions is a given. But how often do you allow yourself to take a break?

A break in your work can be viewed as an interruption or distraction, but it's the intent that matters. If you catch yourself frequently checking social media or personal email, or if you get antsy and leave your work space often, you are distracted and not paying attention to your personal needs - these are not "break" actions. They are procrastination!

Instead, intend to refresh yourself, body, mind and spirit, so that you have more energy (and lighter energy) to continue having a productive work day.

I have often been guilty of ignoring my body when I'm busy. I'm in my home office, working on my computer, concentrating - while at the same time sitting stiffly, breathing shallowly. On some days I feel terribly hyperactive, restlessly looking out the window, or twitching my feet. I have learned to notice those messages my body is sending me, and I do something about them!

Check in with your body and notice what it needs - water? Deep breathing? Resting your eyes? Movement? Then fill the need. Take a 2-minute walk (outside if you can). Drink eight ounces of water. Have a small, light, healthy snack. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Stretch and move your body - get the blood flowing!

I know that when I take even two minutes to do one (or all) of the above, my mind is fresh, my body is loosened, and my spirit feels lighter. And my productivity goes through the roof!

I have had two conversations lately with women who were passionate about something that they wanted to turn into a business. Although this step takes courage, the rewards are immeasurable. It is immensely fulfilling to "work" daily in a field you are passionate about, and for/with like-minded individuals who value you and your skills.

If you have seen my story, you know that I fell into this work after a layoff many years ago forced me to re-evaluate what I was doing. I knew for a fact I couldn't face another job that didn't matter to me, and working for people with whom I didn't share a passion. I was tossed off that cliff and told to fly in a time when I didn't even know I had wings, let alone how to use them!

But I realized that I not only had valuable skills, but there was a whole community of people who needed and wanted support in their work. Lightseeds was a perfect match!

Now, if you are working in a job you love, good for you...stick with it as long as you feel that heart-drive. But if you want to explore creating your own business, do so with heart, with information, and with courage.

Know exactly what you absolutely ROCK at doing.

Know exactly what your heart wants you to do.

Combine those two - there's your sweet spot of creation.

Know with whom you want to work. Who do you WANT to work for/with, and who will most need and value your services?

Do immense amounts of research regarding insurance, legal and regulatory requirements for your chosen field, as well as fees, equipment, and marketing needs.

TALK to people. Get all your marketing in order and TALK. Reaching out is the only way to spread the word about your offering.

Last: DO it! Intend to do it, and take action...DO it!

]]>Mon, 08 Jan 2018 21:00:00 GMThttp://www.lightseedsbyholly.com/tips-and-tricks-blog/simple-tools-for-the-entrepreneurRight after Christmas, here in Ohio we had two days of snowfall. I was lucky and "only" got 15 inches! I was grateful I didn't need to leave the house for a couple of days!

The snowstorm gave me time to play with a new toy! I've been seeking out tools to increase my service to clients, but also for clients to use in their own practices. One such tool is Lumen5, a video production tool that uses existing copy as the storyboard, and after you add images and music, the result is a professional, effective, and fun video!

For time management, RescueTime is an app which automatically tracks time you’ve spent on applications and websites and sends you detailed reports and data based on your activity, giving you an accurate picture of how you spent your day. If you think you're not easily distracted, this app will give you truth!

For online payment, PayPal still leads the pack, with Square running a close second. Both apps offer a card reader as well as easy online money management.

Do you want an easy way to recognize your network's accomplishments and special days? Look no further than Punchbowl, with its beautiful digital greeting cards and invitations in dozens of professional designs for personal and business use. The software saves your address book and sends reminders as well.

Dropbox is still the most popular (and easiest to use) of the file sharing programs. With free and paid versions, you can securely share files in any format via the web...so much easier and safer than emailing documents back and forth! I could not do my job without it.

For video conferencing, both Zoom and Skype do a great job...easy to set up and use, high quality recording, and available on any device.

I hope these suggestions will help you improve your productivity this year. Whether you're delegating to a person or to an app, the key is to increase your efficiency and to create new processes. ​